Knott’s Berry Farm Ghost Town Review!

Deputy Jondee here at Calico,

Knott’s Berry Farm, the world’s first theme park, is celebrating the 75th anniversary of Ghost Town called Ghost Town Alive. This is the recreation of an Old West town, Calico, that was the interest of Walter Knott. Many of the buildings are open, that you could only see from the windows, and filled with interesting people. A barber or the sheriff. They can talk to you about the strange goings on in the town. Many of the guests were caught up in the different stories woven throughout Ghost Town; one young girl found a playing card placed outside of the town hall, another was reporting to the mayor, or delivering messages. I was busy trying to be sworn in as a citizen of Ghost Town and deputized to join a posse. The young guests were busy finding clues and speaking to the town folk. This is a level of interaction that I haven’t seen at other theme parks, it’s at a Ren Faire level. There were many stories going on, a possible ghost haunting the town, and also the low down Mayfield gang causing trouble. The General Blacksmithing shop has a working forge, the Livery Stable has a donkey and horse. There’s always someone walking around and those in a building give a welcome talk. I think the school teacher, Lilly, was trying to give a lesson.

I was looking around the saloon when I heard a commotion in the floor above, yelling about the Mayfields, and going to form a posse. I went out and headed over to the sheriff’s office. I also went to see inside Goldie’s place, inside her red velvet room was her sister, Gertie, who was a dressmaker watching over her place. Goldie’s place has a leg hanging out a window just in case you don’t know what is her business.  Gertie wanted to write a note to one of the deputies to ask him out and hoped to marry him and have twelve children. I stepped out to see the deputies forming the posse. The deputies swear in the new recruits to protect the town and also to have fun. We headed over to the saloon to corner that rogue Mayfield. We yelled at Mayfield to show his yellow hide. The deputies charged in, Mayfield shot one in the arm, but he had the business end of a shotgun by the lady deputy, Abigail! She dragged him by his ear across the street to the town hall. There the sheriff had a trial with all the townsfolk pronouncing Mayfield guilty and sentenced to twenty five years. The rest of his gang came, but they were told they would be watched. The deputies were great in walking and setting up the space for new deputies to watch the proceedings. Don’t forget to enjoy a refreshing sarsaparilla at the saloon! Of course there are rides at Knott’s, including the reopened Ghost Rider, but it is fun to be part of Ghost Town. There was talk that Ghost Town will continue probably after Scary Farm, but don’t miss it before it closes on September 5th!